Unit Quantity Advantage
The simplest way to describe a unit quantity advantage (or unit count advantage) would be to say that it occurs when your units outnumber your opponent's units. If you have more units than your opponent then you can almost certainly deal more damage faster and absorb more damage than your opponent. In practice, however, you don't actually need to have more units on the field than the opponent to have a UQA. TEC History A UQA can be so overwhelmingly advantageous that the entire mechanic of reinforcements was introduced to minimize the effect of one or two early errors in a match. During the public alpha armies had four units that all deployed at once with no reinforcements. If you could isolate and eliminate an enemy unit in the first few moments without taking serious damage then you could often exploit that to deleterious effect on your opponent. The 4-up format encouraged wide movement across the field, often seeing two teams of two running down different areas of the map to maximize options for capture without seriously depleting combat effectiveness. If one of the units could be quickly and easily eliminated, this left a 1v2 matchup in that area of the map. This usually resulted in the second unit being quickly dispatched. At that point, the 4v2 balance of units on the field resulted in a serious handicap for the player whose units were eliminated. Matches were literally being won and lost within the first few seconds of play, with a quick wrap-up following. Imagine, for example, if reinforcements had been available. When the first unit was eliminated it's "side buddy" could have been pulled back to regroup with the other units more easily, and then reinforced. While a 4v3 matchup is not ever favorable for the player with the minority it's at least playable. With the promise of a reinforcement all the minority player has to do is eliminate one or two opposing units to quickly have the same number of units near their drop zone. Local UQAs The global quantity of units across a map is rarely the most important comparison. What is more important are the local quantities. Continuing the example from the last paragraph, let's say the minority player regroups near their drop zone. While retreating they manage to cause enough damage to eliminate one attacking unit without losing another. At that moment they have exactly the same number of units both locally and on the field as a whole as their opponent. ...but then it changes. Both players receive a reinforcement at the same time. The player who was in the minority now has a local unit quantity advantage of 3-4 in their drop zone. While their opponent technically also has four units on the field the new reinforcement is at the far end of the map. It is unable to support its allies at the far end of the map and as a result leaves them with a numerical disadvantage. This is an advantage that the player who was in the minority can now exploit before the reinforcement can reach its allies to give support. The ability of reinforcements to shift and create a local UQA is a significant factor that should be considered when pursuing retreating units. When units are retreating towards their drop zone (or are regrouping laterally within a short distance of their drop zone) consider whether they are setting up a local UQA before pursuing. It may be preferable to be close (say, to use ranged units) but not in direct melee with those units. The influence of reinforcements also explains why the capture game is slightly harder on some maps in the beta than in the alpha. It is very difficult to press units all the way to a CP near the opponent's drop zone and it is entirely possible that any unit that drops nearby will be at an advantage to the capturing unit. Non-numerical UQAs Not every UQA is solely based on numbers. Sometimes the quantity imbalance is due to insufficient support. For example, let's say Annathymia brings an army of three Rangers against Mou La Caille. His army consists of three Horsemen. Annathymia will win 0% of the time. This is not because three horsemen are an unbeatable army, but because one horseman effectively has a UQA over one ranger. In practice, one horseman might even have a UQA over two rangers! Some units have an inherent advantage against other units. If we can exploit this then we can gain a local UQA without actually having more units. Another example: Annathymia's army is two rangers and a horseman. Mou La Caille uses a Heavy Cavalry and two Shield Guards. Mou La Caille can create multiple UQAs. First, he engages the horseman with the two shield guards. Annathymia will likely give her rangers targeted attack orders on the shield guards, as well. This would seem to be a UQA for Annathymia, except that Mou La Caille still has his heavy cav available. The heavy cav can create a UQA against at least one, if not both rangers simultaneously. UQAs from Abilities and Gear Different abilities and gear also allow channels to create UQAs. They do this by partially substituting for the local influence of a second unit. For instance, the Soul Ancient and his specializations partially add the abilities of a Doctor to the local area where they're engaged. Several pieces of gear provide benefits to nearby allies, as well, which increases their combat effectiveness and can create a practical UQA. It is important to note here that merely adding abilities does not automatically grant a UQA even against an identical unit that doesn't have that piece of gear. A UQA is established when the combat effectiveness of one unit is higher than another, not when one has more mechanics or rules that are possible to employ. Conclusion Unit quantity advantages are fluid and capricious things. Mastering them, however, can generate significant advantages for you on the field and help you win matches. The trick is to think of them not as mere numbers but as combat advantages that you can create or employ. Simultaneously, you should be aware of UQAs that your opponent is trying to create and work to minimize any that appear. Category:Techniques Category:Strategy